Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1559 13 Carruth St porch

Today we have two photos of the porch from 13 Carruth Street—about 1900. These seem to be the same room, but I can’t quite fit the orientation in my mind. Maybe one of the former owners of the house could chime in?

Here are their comments from yesterday:

Anthony Sammarco wrote: “Great image looking through the dining room! A portier (in French portiere) is a curtain hung on hooks fron a brass rod between openings (in place of earlier sliding pocket doors or doors themselves.) Seems most houses had them at this period. I like the overlay of both Colonial Revival furniture with Empire pieces and earlier pieces.”

Margery Buckingham commented “Apart from the furnishings, the dining room seems not to have changed much over the years. At some point, French doors took the place of the portieres, and the striking light fixture has been replaced — perhaps more than once. When we lived at 13 Carruth Street, a single combination gas/electric wall sconce remained on the third floor. Whether it was “original equipment” I cannot say, but it does indicate that the original fixtures were piped for gas. Their placement accords with this supposition. Because of the low ceilings, the only ceiling-mounted fixtures in the house were in the dining room and kitchen, where center tables kept them from being head-bumpers; all the other fixtures were wall sconces.”

Bob Rugo: “Anthony rented 13 Carruth St. from the Buckinghams while they were working in Philadelphia for a few years. And I assumed that he meant “portiere rods”

Before Carruth Street:

Francis and Emily Bethmann lived at 417 Broadway in December 1875 when a daughter, Kay?, died at age 6 years and 6 months of diphtheria. The daughter had been born in Germany as had the parents.

Idaho:

There are a number of Bethmanns buried in Idaho. I am guessing that Harry F. (1865-1942) is Frieda’s brother. His wife Abigail Burns (1882-1948). Their children, Miner (1900-1982) and his wife Georgena 1903-1973), Burns (1914-1927), Hans Ferdinand (1915-1917) the earliest death and buried in a different cemetery: Kendrick Cemetery Kendrick, Nez Perce County, Idaho. My guess would be that brother Harry was in Idaho when his son died in 1917 and that mother and sister joined his family sometime before Emilie died in 1928. I’ve lost my temporary free access to census info, so hard to be more detailed.

Bob

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